Connecting to a Server using SSH: the Fundamentals

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Are you trying to improve the security of your Internet connection? It's time you learned about SSH, the secure shell protocol. Never heard of it before? Keep reading.

The basics of File Transfer Protocol (protocol for transferring files between two computers) teach us to move files between two locations unsecured. This means it is enough to pass certain authentications and then move on. These authentications include usernames and passwords given by the hosting provider, which you will then use to log in to an FTP server using an FTP client on Port 21.

In a data communication network, when data is not encrypted, there are lots of ways to steal and compromise it. One of the most effective ways is to "sniff" the network. If you work in a big IT corporation with lots of routers and computers, it is even easier to sniff data by installing "sniffing software" to capture data packets coming out of the network interface card.

In this way, login information can be compromised, not only via FTP but everything that comes in and out of your computer. This could include your Face book, Yahoo messenger or Skype login information. I know this violates privacy, but at the same time, it can make you sick to know someone is sniffing your communication.

If you are a web developer and want to improve web security, then keep reading. This article is all about using SSH in File Transfer Protocol, a Unix/open source based encryption technology. This acronym (SSH) may seem very new to you; in fact if you are a beginner or new to web development, you've probably not heard this acronym before.

SSH is secure shell, a network protocol that governs encryption of communication between two computers that will take place in Port 22 of your computer. Port 22 is the standard port used for SSH; however, with some advanced settings, you can assign different port numbers.

If you have a website that is hosted under Linux or UNIX servers, it will be convenient for a hosting provider to add SSH functionality to your hosting account. But if you have Windows Server, you can have OpenSSH (an open source SSH that can be installed under Windows computers).

An SSH account in a hosting server is not installed by default by most hosting companies. You will need to check your hosting account.